Hair Divide
by mistlove
Summary: Yuri gets into a little incident in a small Brave Vesperia job and comes home to Estelle with his hair chopped off. He doesn't look too happy about it, but Estelle finds a way to comfort him. Post-game several years. High T - light M rating.


**Title:** Hair Divide  
**Summary:** Yuri gets into a little incident in a small Brave Vesperia job and comes home to Estelle with his hair chopped off. He doesn't look too happy about it, but Estelle finds a way to comfort him. Light M.  
**Author:** mistlove  
**Copyrights:** Plot is mine. Everything else belongs to Namco Bandai.  
**Warnings: **Smutty

* * *

Estelle presses her hand over her mouth, feeling her eyes widen at the image before her.

Yuri had just entered the house with Repede, having returned from a small Brave Vesperia job. He looks exhausted and battered, his clothing ruffled and wrinkled. Repede is whining, snout tilted down, paws dragging against the floor tiredly. It's of course, rare to see both of them so tired. The two have always been known for ridiculous stamina.

But out of all of this, what Estelle zeroes in on is Yuri's hair. It looks like it's been lopped off in a diagonal cut near the shoulder.

She sets her book down and rushes over. "What happened?"

Repede snuffles at her before slinking over to his bed by the wall. He steps in gingerly and curls up.

Estelle looks at him worriedly, glancing at her husband. "Is Repede okay?"

"He's not injured. Just tired." Yuri sighs heavily, sagging against the wall. He throws his sword onto the table. "Geez, this sucks though."

"What happened?" she asks again, feeling her forehead knit together. Her hands worry over his body, searching for wounds.

Yuri catches her hands, holding them in his large, calloused ones. "Those Death Mantis' happened," he mutters waspishly.

Estelle frowns. "But I thought you were sent out to collect stingers from the bee monsters?"

"Yeah, well, those little bugs wanted a piece of Raven when he spilled a dark bottle. It came up from behind and attacked." Yuri sighs again, closing his eyes. "And the rest is history."

Estelle chuckles, moving to lean against him, keeping him pressed against the wall. "Your hair _was_ getting pretty long. Perhaps you should thank that monster for giving you a haircut." She backs away, puffing out a small giggle as she looks at her husband.

"It did a pretty crappy job." The swordsman gathers what remains of his hair into his calloused hands, playing with it absently. "Probably should get a refund. Too bad I killed it."

"I can fix it," Estelle promises, smiling reassuringly.

"Mmn." Yuri wraps his hands around her waist, holding her close. "That's enough about the hair." He leans forward to suckle a kiss into her neck.

"A-Ah! Yuri!"

She feels him smirk into her skin. There's a hint of teeth as he scrapes his mouth along her jaw.

"Y-Yuri!" she yells again, hands pushing half-heartedly against his chest. "Flynn's coming over soon, remember?"

"Well then," he pulls back to look at her, expression absolutely predatory. She feels warmth wash over her at the look. "we'll have to make this _quick_, huh?"

Before she can answer, he thrusts his tongue into her mouth and reaches behind her to fumble with her clothing.

"No!" She pushes away, regretful for the loss of his warmth. He looks utterly bewildered by her frank refusal and she has to resist the urge to lean in and kiss him again in apology. Instead, she places her hands firmly on her hips and looks at him sternly. "You have some hair that needs to be fixed and a guest to receive." She reaches to take his hand and tugs him toward their bedroom's small bathroom attachment.

Yuri stays silent as she pushes him down onto the covered toilet seat and gets to work on his hair. She's always wondered what he would look like with his hair cut short. But she'll really miss being able to play with his long locks.

"You're going to have to grow your hair out for me," Yuri murmurs suddenly. He reaches up to finger her hair, which is now chest-length. "At least until my hair catches up."

Estelle puffs out a sigh. "I don't like having my hair long though. It gets in the way. I could never understand how you and Judith could stand to keep your hair so long."

The swordsman shrugs absentmindedly. "I like imagining you with longer hair though," he says after a long moment. He looks up at her and his black eyes have a sad, almost reminiscent look in them.

She doesn't prompt him to continue, knowing that if he wants to talk about it, he will on his own.

"It makes you look motherly," he continues, voice soft with a redolent quality. "You remind me of Flynn's mom. She had her hair a little bit longer than your hair right now."

Estelle stops cutting his hair for a moment and sets her hands on his shoulders to look at him. His hair is short now, the ends just touching his shoulders. He looks so much younger. She wonders if this was how short his hair was when he was a child.

She doesn't know what prompts her to ask, but it just feels like the kind of question Yuri's been waiting for her to ask. "You never found out who your parents were?"

Yuri shook his head. "No. It never really bothered me." He shrugs, closing his eyes. "I always had Flynn and his mom and the innkeeper lady to take care of me."

Estelle feels her heart twinge at Yuri's honesty. It must hurt, knowing your parents hadn't wanted you. She tugs him forward into a hug. He stiffens before shifting to press his ear against her heart.

"I'm glad you were born, Yuri. I am so thankful you're here."

Yuri's next words are muffled into her chest. "I love you."

She feels tears well up in her eyes at his words. It's rare that Yuri ever says that since it's always been implied between them exactly how much he loves her. She pulls away only to lean back in and kiss him fiercely. He reaches up and cups her cheek in his hands, thumbs rubbing her tears away. He stands up suddenly and easily shifts to pick her up bridal style.

"Yuri!" she squeals, blushing. "We can't-"

He cuts her off with a serious look, his black eyes glimmering. "I want you now," he says simply.

She feels her heart skip a beat at his words and an embarrassing warmth swarm from her head all the way down to her toes.

He walks over back into their bedroom and sets her down onto the bed gently, chasing her down with his lips, kissing light but hot down her throat to her collarbones.

"Mmn... Yuri..."

He chuckles a little against her skin, which gets louder when she swats at him indignantly. He rubs his nose against her shoulder, inhaling her skin.

"A-Ah! Tickles..."

"Sorry," he says, not at all sorry. He exhales sharply, just to see her reaction.

She squirms and arches her back. "N-Not just that!" she hisses, fingers reaching up to knot in his shirt. "Your... your hair..."

"Hmm." He smiles, licking a slow line to her ear. He nibbles at her earlobe. "So it _will_ have some practical uses still."

"You're mean!"

"Maybe." He pulls up to look at her, licking his lips.

The warmth buzzes through her again, starting to concentrate itself in her stomach.

Yuri shifts back down to kiss her stomach through her cotton dress. "I could just be punishing you for denying me earlier..."

"I-It's not like I don't want to! T-There just has to be a time and pla-ah-ce!"

"Flynn can wait," he replies, tone playful. He rubs a hand up her thigh, fingers pressing teasingly light through her dress.

Frustrated, she pushes him back and sits up. Yuri watches with intrigued eyes. She chases his lips as he leans back. Shifting so she can straddle him, she kisses him. He hums in approval. She rolls her hips and his hum breaks into a gasp. She pulls back, feeling smug when she sees his expression. One eye is squeezed shut; his pale cheeks flushed pink as he pants.

"Don't tease, Estelle," he mutters, reaching up to grab her hips. She catches his hands and pushes them back down. "It's not nice."

"_You're_ not nice! This is punishment." She rolls her hips again and he groans quietly, eyes squeezing shut. "You never listen to me..."

Yuri chuckles, breathless. "That's only sometimes true." He arches his back and bucks his hips up against hers.

Estelle slips her hands into the opening of his shirt and pushes it aside. Her hand skims over his chest and she revels in the drum-like heartbeat Yuri's heart is emitting.

Yuri reaches up to grab her neck and tugs her down for an insistent kiss, lapping his tongue into her mouth.

It's rare to see him so needy and desperate. He usually likes to take his time and completely unravel her. His eyes are shining with affection and want and she feels so amazed to know that she's the only person he's ever looked at in this way.

"Yuri-"

"Yuri, are you in here?" Flynn's voice asks sprightly before he gives the barely closed door several brisk knocks. "I'm coming in."

"No-"

"Wait-"

Flynn opens the door half-way and looks like he's about to retreat from their yells when he gets a look at them. Then he freezes in place, a pink flush rising visibly from his neck up to his face.

Estelle feels the warmth from her stomach also rush to her head at the embarrassment. She can't even will herself to move.

Yuri looks bored actually, after the initial shock has worn off. He suddenly sits up, making her shift down further into his lap. The black-haired offers his friend a lazy-eyed smirk.

"Wanna join?"

Flynn goes crimson instantly, spluttering. Not that she can talk. She's just as flustered. She's trying to get words out of her mouth to yell at Yuri but they're stuck in the back of her throat.

"Just kidding." Yuri leans forward and rests his head against her chest, dark eyes catching Flynn's eyes with a possessive smile. "I'm not sharing her."  
Another uncomfortable, silent moment passes before Yuri shifts and lifts Estelle off his lap, plopping her down on the bed beside him easily. He hops out of bed, strolling casually towards Flynn. He readjusts his shirt and straightens the cuffs.

"Now, sorry to keep you waiting." He stops a few feet in front of the Commandant, one hand propped on his hip. "We had business to discuss, didn't we?"

Flynn's cheeks are still flushed. He closes his eyes, turning away. "I-It can wait."

"Oh, what a gentleman," Yuri teases, a playful lilt to his tone. "Come on, I haven't got all day. There are _other_ things I'd rather be doing."  
Flynn shoots his friend a weak, indignant, and scandalized glare. "You have no shame."

Yuri only smiles mischievously, shrugging. "Let's go, Commandant." He brushes past his friend easily, offering only a glance back. "I'll even make you food while we talk."

...

Once Estelle's finished slapping her hands to her cheeks and is satisfied that she looks positively presentably, she leaves from in front of the mirror and makes her way to their dining room.

Yuri's cooking at the stove and Flynn is sitting at the table, one gauntleted arm resting on the table, the other hand reaching down to scratch Repede behind the ears.

"Lady Estellise," Flynn greets upon seeing her. He immediately stands up and bows before shifting to pull out a chair for her.

It seems the embarrassment of the moment has passed for both of them and they're back to normal.  
"Thank you," she responds politely with a smile, settling down into the seat.

He sits back down and resumes showering his affection on Repede. "Were you the one who cut Yuri's hair, Lady Estellise?"

"Yes." She turns to look back at Yuri. His profile looks so different without his black hair cascading down his back. She turns back to Flynn. "Did he tell you about why he chose to cut it?"

"We were talking about the old man's Imperial Knights and guild members motley brigade," Yuri answers, glancing over his shoulder. "I haven't graced him with the story yet. It's nothing fantastic anyway. Just some bad luck on my part."

"Monster attack?" Flynn guesses.

Repede barks in answer.

"I see." Flynn smiles fondly. "Well, I think the short hair look suits you."

"Of course you do." Yuri comes to the table and sets down a plate of croquettes and mabo curry in front of each. "You think having long hair is messy."

"I won't deny that." Flynn rises to remove his gauntlets and wash his hands. "At least now you won't be whipping me in the face with that hair when you fight with me."

"Or against you," Yuri adds, eyes glimmering challengingly.

Flynn smirks, drying his hands with a towel. "Or against me."

"Next time we go to Nordopolica," Yuri starts, grinning confidently. "we'll do two hundred man melee. Best time wins."

"You're on."

Estelle smiles at them from the sink, where she's standing to wash her hands. They're still such great friends and she's so envious they get to see each other much more often than she gets to see Rita or Judith.

"I've gotten stronger," Flynn warns.

"No matter how strong you've gotten, I'm _still_ going to kick your ass. Especially in time challenges."

"Really?" Flynn crosses his arms across his chest, tilting his head challengingly at his friend. "This coming from the person who just had his hair lopped off by a low-level monster?"

"That couldn't be helped." Yuri throws on a pout, glaring back at the knight. "I was caught off guard."

"That's no excuse," Flynn replies haughtily. "A warrior should always be on guard."

Estelle can't help but giggle, drawing the two's attention to her.

"What's so funny?" Yuri asks, eyebrow raised.

"You two are just such cute friends."

The two flush before exchanging bewildered glances. She breaks out into full laughter and they look even more flustered if possible.

"Cute isn't a word I'd use to describe Flynn," Yuri mutters, hands on his hips as he eyes the knight critically.

"You're not cute either," Flynn sasses back in a rare display of cheekiness.

Yuri shrugs with a devil-may-care attitude, grinning. "That's what you say, Commandant, but I'm the one who's had fans chasing me around the globe."

The two keep bantering with Estelle silently watching their profiles as they turn away from her.

Black hair and bright blonde hair, they've always contrasted each other. But today, Yuri's hair is short like Flynn's. They're starting to see eye to eye again.

Maybe to them it doesn't seem like a significant change. But to her, Yuri's cutting of his hair signals new beginnings.


End file.
